SOMEWHERE BETWEEN TEXAS AND NORTH CAROLINA - Just 48 hours ago, he had no weekend plans, but last night Jitta On The Track, the winner of the OurStage/Real Hip-Hop Network “Rise” Competition, played his first date on Drake’s “Club Paradise” Tour. While Twitter buzzes about his performance in Houston, Jitta took a minute to give us a shout from his tour bus. More soon:
Rapper, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and social media kingpin 50 Cent recently weighed in on Obama’s backing of same sex marriages. In an interview with XXLMag, 50 Cent stated that he supported the President’s decision, saying, “I think everyone should be happy. You know, I think a fool is going to go against same sex marriage at this point.”
50 joins a growing list of rappers including T.I., Jay-Z, and Nicki Minaj who have all condemned opposition to same sex lifestyles. “What people do in their own homes is their business and you can choose to love whoever you love. That’s their business,” Hova said in an interview with CNN. “[It] is no different than discriminating against blacks. It’s discrimination plain and simple.”
The reaction to Obama’s comments would appear to follow a trend in hip-hop of more openness and anti-homophobia. Blog-hyped rapper Lil B made waves in April of 2011 with the announcement of his full length LP “I’m Gay (I’m Happy).” Up and comer A$AP Rocky also made his stance on homosexuality clear in a piece from Complex Magazine, saying, “I used to be fucking homophobic. That shit is ignorant. You will lose a lot of time and friendship being homophobic.” Rappers stating indifference to homosexuality is one thing. But hip-hop’s historically homophobic image makes recent comments from rappers like these all the more remarkable.
Watch the full clip of 50 Cent talking to XXLMag below.
Photo: Darrow Montgomery
Chuck Brown, one of Washington DC’s most prominent musicians and a mainstay of the Go-go music scene, passed away on May 16th at the age of 75. Brown had been hospitalized since April for pneumonia.
Brown was credited as the “Godfather of Go-go,” a subgenre of funk and R&B that enjoyed popularity in Washington DC from the late 60s to the early 80s. While go-go music never found a large audience outside of the DC metropolitan area, Brown did experience chart success during his decades-long career. Brown and his group The Soul Searchers had their biggest hit in 1979 when their song “Bustin’ Loose” topped the R&B charts for four weeks. “Bustin’ Loose” was also notably sampled in Nelly’s smash hit “Hot in Herre” in 2002.
Brown came from extremely humble origins, working odd jobs at a young age. In his teens, Brown became caught up in a some criminal activities. Originally incarcerated for aggravated assault, Brown was eventually charged with murder after the man he attacked died in hospital care. While in prison, Brown reportedly traded a few cartons of cigarettes for his first guitar.
While popular success would prove fleeting for Brown and Go-go music at large, he continued to have a vital career. Brown scored his first GRAMMY award nomination in 2011 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals with Jill Scott and Marcus Miller for the song “Love.”
Listen to Chuck Brown’s “Bustin’ Loose” below.
Last week’s big announcements from Maybach Music Group made major waves in the music world, but left some fans disappointed. Many expected Ma$e to be announced as Rick Ross’ newest signee, after months of speculation that he was returning to rap.
French Montana alluded to Ma$e’s return after he was spotted in the studio him and Ross last month. “Ma$e sounds good, sound like he never left. His flow is crazy. We’re going to let the world hear soon enough. Stay tuned. Just stay tuned.”
Fans didn’t have to wait too long to hear Ma$e on the mic thanks to a surprise release from MMG. Wale’s latest single, “Slight Work” hit airwaves last month and features Ma$e, Diddy, French Montana and Meek Mill. During an interview with Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97, Ma$e explained that Bad Boy’s French Montana was the mastermind of the collaboration.
“I think it was French, man. A lot of love goes out to French. I don’t know why he was repping me so strong, but he was showing me Harlem love. He ain’t even from Harlem, it’s crazy. It was really French,” he said. “We totally opposite, but he just showed me wild love. I rock with who rock with me.”
Brittany Campbell
You want untapped, gutsy, street cool? You go to Brooklyn. And if you’re lucky, you just might find an artist half as interesting as Brittany Campbell. The singer-songwriter/producer/guitarist cross-pollinates doo-wop, Motown, new wave and pop rock for a completely fresh and revelatory sound. Like Amy Winehouse, Debbie Harry and Santigold, Campbell’s an original. On “Call Me Baby,” vintage guitars strut against a beat while Campbell summons the soulful angst of a 1950s teen, singing “There’ll be no mercy now / Wherever you are is where I’ll be.” “Nerd,” with its handclaps, 8-bit synths and bouncing beat is instantly infectious even as the singer delivers dubious lines like, “Guess you haven’t heard / God, I’m such a nerd.” As if. “Goody Goody” is the track you’ll want to put on repeat. New wave synths, surf guitars and Campbell’s powerful voice make for a smart and sexy rocker with a vintage edge. Have mercy.
Moving at the speed of hype, 17-year-old Daytona Beach, FL native Kitty Pryde has been taking over the internet at a breakneck pace. Taking her name from a character from the X-Men comics, Pryde is the latest in a string of female MCs who have come to prominence in the past few months including Azealia Banks, Iggy Azalea, and Kreayshawn. The “jail bait Hailey Williams of Rap,” Pryde has also drawn comparisons to hipster songbird Lana Del Rey; both seemingly came out of nowhere and have built buzz with the tumblr crowd thanks to a handful of woozy youtube videos.
Pryde’s output has been scant so far. That said, having a lone EP, The Lizzie McGuire Experience, and two singles to her name hasn’t gotten in the way of her rise in popularity. With write-ups in The Fader, Vice, Pretty Much Amazing, Idolator, and many more in the past two days alone, her ascent has been dizzyingly fast.
Watch the video for her latest single “Okay Cupid” and see what all the fuss is about.
The weather over the last few days has been marked by an overcast, chilly gloom, and after being teased by summer so frequently I feel like my taste in music may have switched seasons a bit too early. I find myself constantly drawn to warm, sample-heavy hip hop—a sound that’s quite removed from the over-synthesized, over-produced, dance-hop populating the airwaves currently, and more inline with the vinyl crackle infused genre of the ’90s (heck, a couple of these songs actually come from the ’90s). The lyrical content places more of a focus on conveying a story rather than shocking the listener with clever one liners (ahem…Drake). In the words of Masta Ace… “this is how hip hop is supposed to sound”. So find your best pair of cans and switch the outside world off for a little bit.
Here at OurStage, we’re always on the lookout for new music across all possible genres, from hip-hop to metal to indie rock to dubstep. That’s why Jordan has created his very own adrenaline-pumping mix of only the most exciting music out there. Metal? Check, Kylesa and Rooks, are crushing it. Hip-hop? Check, we’ve got Will Brennan and The Notorious B.I.G. Indie? Check, The Ascetic Junkies are holding it down. Electronic? Check, Nero is in the mix. There would be a whole lot more, but let’s not get out of hand here…
Last week, Maybach Music Group made big waves when they announced some serious plans for 2012 that include a new Reebok clothing line with Swizz Beatz, three summer release dates for MMG artists and a surprising new addition to the team.
Rick Ross was joined by Warner Bros. and Def Jam Recordings executives Steve Bartels, Todd Moscowitz and Lyor Cohen, who spoke quite highly of The Boss.
“When I got a chance to meet him, I saw someone that was going to be undeterred in achieving the success that he has,” said Cohen. “He’s not satisfied. There’s no stopping him. I’m so grateful that I’m associated with him and that the Warner Bros. label is associated with him. The possibilities that Rick and Maybach Music are going to bring is going to be, in my mind, unprecedented.”
Swizz Beatz hit the stage to announce his partnership with Ross on a Big & Tall clothing line for Reebok. “He’s going to lead the big and tall movement,” said Swizz. “There’s a limit with clothes that stops at a certain point. With Ross, everything has to be custom made. I felt that instead of just doing a regular sneaker, we give Ross his own big and tall line.”
Continue reading ‘Soundcheck: Maybach Music Makes Big Waves, Sign Omarion’
Nas is back on the mic in a big way. The Queens, NY native is readying his tenth studio album, Life Is Good for its July 17 release date. Armed with an arsenal of new material, the most celebrated lyricist in the game in coming for his crown.
Last week, he dropped his latest single, “Daughters” produced by No I.D. and inspired by his own daughter, Destiny. In it, he grapples with the realities of raising a teenaged girl through heartfelt accounts of their more difficult moments, like when she tweeted a photo of a box of condoms in February.
“She’s so important to me and she always has been. They grow so fast and time flies, man. Before you know it, you’re looking at a little lady,” he told XXL. “She’s my first kid, my first time watching a child become a teen and a little adult before my eyes. That’s one of the most important things in my life. She is. I can’t get away from talking about it. It’s actually one of the first songs I recorded for this album.”
While fans and industry insiders praised his prose; his infamous ex, Carmen Bryan was not so pleased about his depiction of their daughter. She quickly took to Twitter to heir her grievances with her ex’s latest revelations.
“Just heard ‘Daughters’ by Nas. What a disappointment! He had nothing positive to say about our daughter and his depiction of her is false,” she posted Thursday. “She’s extremely talented, caring and has a huge heart, none of those things were mentioned. I’m proud of her,” she blasted. She also insisted that Destiny herself was not a fan of the song either.
Continue reading ‘Soundcheck: Life Is Good For Nas, Despite Baby Mama Drama’
